Security forces in Upper Orakzai and Khyber agency killed at least thirteen militants in three linked operations on Friday. In Orakzai, forces led two raids that killed eight militants and destroyed two hideouts. In the Tirah valley, Khyber agency, soldiers killed at least five militants and wounded several more, destroying three hideouts. [2]

In New York, Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, pleaded not guilty on Friday to allegations of conspiring to kill U.S. citizens. Ghaith was arrested in Jordan for his previous role as a spokesperson for al Qaeda and transferred to U.S. custody on February 28th. He has been appointed three lawyers to preside over his defense and faces life in prison if convicted. [6]

U.S. State Department’s spokesperson Victoria Nuland stated on Thursday that the U.S. has made it clear that Pakistan will violate U.S. sanctions if it concludes the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline deal. Nuland stated that “Iran is not a reliable partner,” and that the U.S. is working closely with Pakistani officials to solve Pakistan’s energy crisis. [11]

General Kayani Hosts Meeting

On Thursday, General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani hosted a Pakistan Army Corps Commanders Conference in Rawalpindi, where top generals discussed the security situation across Pakistan, specifically focusing on recent violence in Karachi and Quetta. [12]

On Friday, the National Assembly of Pakistan approved the Anti-terrorism Bill 2013, which will create an anti-terrorism department led by the prime minister, and will also formulate a national anti-terrorism policy. The bill also allows the use of electronic evidence in terrorism cases and grants Pakistani security forces the authority to confiscate the assets of suspected terrorism financiers. The bill was approved by the senate on March 5th. [14]

According to the Express Tribune, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf wrote a letter to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry requesting that he form a judicial commission to investigate the rental power project case in order to disprove corruption allegations against Ashraf. [15]

Four Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) contractors asked the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to file contempt of court charges against ISI Director-General Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam and other top defense officials for not abiding by a prior IHC ruling demanding that the ISI regularize the civilian contractors’ status within the agency. An ISI official responded stating that contractors cannot obtain permanent positions until they have successfully completed a number of exams. [17]

On Friday, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, the spiritual leader of a Sufi shrine in Ajmer Sharif, India, decided to boycott the visit of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, who is scheduled to visit the shrine on Saturday. Khan stated that he will protest Ashraf’s visit because of the “ill-treatment of Hindus in Pakistan.” [20]